Pressure sensors are used in many contexts, such as automotive, industrial, medical, aviation, and consumer electronics, for example. In the automotive context for example, pressure sensors are used to measure intake manifold air pressure and vacuum, and can also be used in air bag deployment and other applications.
Conventional pressure sensors are packaged in integrated circuit (IC) packages. However, some conventional IC packages leave their pressure sensors unabashedly exposed to the ambient environment (e.g., unabashedly exposed to the air) so the sensor can measure the ambient pressure. Unfortunately, however, leaving the pressure sensor unabashedly exposed to the ambient environment can lead to problems. For example, stray wires or dirt from the ambient environment can come into physical contact with the exposed pressure sensor and thereby cause inaccurate pressure measurements or even damage the pressure sensor itself. Therefore, although conventional pressure sensors and their associated integrated circuit packages are sufficient in some regards, the inventors have devised improved pressure sensors and associated packages as set forth herein.